E-Paper
UP ATS arrests man from Jhansi for posts on Ram temple
A 24-year-old man from Jhansi was arrested by the U.P. Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) for hate-filled social media posts related to the Ayodhya Ram temple. The accused has been charged under IPC sections 153-a and 505 (2). The ATS has also conducted searches in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra.
The U.P. Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) arrested a 24-year-old man from Jhansi, on Tuesday, for provocative and hate-filled posts on social media in connection with Ayodhya Ram temple, senior police officials said here on Wednesday.
U.P. Police director general (DG), law and order, Prashant Kumar, said the accused was identified as Zibran Makrani, a resident of Mukaryana under the City Police Station limits of Jhansi district. He said that the accused has done the course of Hafiz from a Jhansi madrasa.
The DG said that the post of the accused was noticed by the ATS while scanning social media posts during intensified cyber patrolling in the build-up for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple on January 22. He said that the ATS later recovered several objectionable posts and screen shots shared by him with other people provoking them to take revenge for the demolition of Babri mosque.
He said an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153-a for promoting enmity between two groups on the grounds of religion and 505 (2) for statements promoting hatred and enmity between two classes has been registered against him at ATS police station in Lucknow in the matter.
He further stated that the UP ATS with help of Maharashtra ATA has also carried out simultaneous searches at 11 locations in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra in the same connection on December 30. “So far, no arrest has been made from Aurangabad, but notices have been issued to them summoning them for questioning at ATS headquarters in Lucknow,” he emphasised and added, “These people have been called to the ATS headquarters between January 15 and 20”.
Another police official said that the UP ATS is keeping round-the-clock vigil on posts made on social media platforms and other electronic channels. He said several posts on social media platforms were found objectionable during the round-the-clock cyber patrolling and were removed as well as the users’ accounts were blocked, while in some cases, users removed the posts after being warned. He said the arrests are being made when something objectionable is found other than social media posts.
